This is an ordinary artist’s paintbrush, made extraordinary by having belonged to Alma Woodsey Thomas (1891-1978). Thomas’s vibrant brushwork enlivened her abstract watercolors and mosaic-patterned paintings. In a 1970 interview, the artist described her brush strokes as “free and irregular, some close together, others far apart, thus creating interesting patterns of canvas peeping around the stro
This ordinary set of Sargent Art® brand watercolor paints has an embossed metal lid that opens to reveal eight pans of color. Paint splatters on the inside of the tin evidence that it was used by its owner, painter Alma Woodsey Thomas. Color was central to Thomas’s work. She distinguished herself from the Washington Color School in the 1960s and developed the colorful expressionist style for which
The homemaker on the pocket of this white apron also stars in a coordinating days-of-the-week tablecloth and towel set (2008.0002.0006a-f). She wears the same yellow dress and red gingham apron on Tuesday’s “ironing” towel. A half apron like this one can be seen on her partner in domesticity, who brings her tea while she is resting per Sunday’s towel. Rather than plain white, however, this apron i
In a study of symmetry, this purse presents sleek lines and geometric shapes on a canvas of metal. The black, white, and grey purse’s bag is made from metal mesh painted with large inverted chevrons and smaller diamonds subdivided into sections of color. The points of five pentagons along the purse’s bottom pick up the diamond theme, as does the double row of diamonds on the purse’s shiny silver f
This round woven basket is unique among artist Ira Blount’s creations for having a lid. The lid incorporates a carved wood openwork floral design. This combination of woodwork and weaving demonstrates Blount’s mastery of multiple mediums. The Calvert County Fair awarded this basket the First Place Blue Premium Ribbon.
This melon-shaped basket is woven in a plain weave using round reeds, double plied twisted seagrass cord, and wood splints. The handle, which is attached to the body of the basket with a large woven God’s Eye design, is wrapped in a plain weave with a seagrass cord weft. The woven cord creates a pattern of darker stripes on the handle and around the God’s Eye. Different textural and weaving elemen